The Statewide transportation-funding proposal carefully created by East Bay legislators balances a number of concerns: it creates a reliable Statewide transportation funding system, it does so with mostly existing funds, and it does so without imposing new, economy-crushing tolls. RI Turnpike & Bridge Authority own words demonstrate that their primary concern isn't what the people or their representatives want, or what's best for the State, but receiving a taxpayer-funded bailout of their operations through tolls.
Rather than take responsibility for their financial situation and examine their own operations, RITBA is determined to force tolls to cover their shortfalls. Never mind that their efforts to kill the transportation-funding bill (see link below) will also kill the best chance for the State to finally create a transportation-funding system, the lack of which is why the infrastructure is in such bad shape in the first place.
The fact is that the proposed system would assure funds for proper maintenance without tolls. And most of the money collected on Sakonnet tolls would NOT be for maintenance of that bridge, but to bolster RITBA's operations elsewhere. RI legislators' focus needs to be on what's best for the people of RI, not RITBA's desire to balance it's books on the backs of taxpayers.
http://www.providencejournal.com/business/content/20140318-ri-turnpike-and-bridge-authority-threatens-to-give-sakonnet-river-bridge-back-to-state-if-higher-tolls-not-approved-april-1.ece
Brian Medeiros
Tiverton, RI
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